Program switch and modular program switch arrangement for mounting on a printed circuit board and method for producing such a program switch arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a program switch for mounting on a printed circuit board comprising a housing, an insulator component with contact elements arranged thereon, and a switching element for contacting the contact elements. The housing has at least two connection elements for connecting the program switch to adjacent program switches to form a program switch arrangement having an arbitrary number of poles. Production and stock keeping and sale of the program switch are simple.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A program switch for forming a modular program switch arrangement and for mounting on a printed circuit board, the program switch comprising:
 a housing; 
 an insulator component with contact elements arranged thereon; and 
 a switching element movable between an on switching position and an off switching position and the switching element contacting the contact elements in the on switching position, wherein the housing has a first side wall and a second side wall and at least two connection elements are arranged on each side of the first side wall and the second side wall and spaced apart from each other for connection to adjacent program switches, wherein the at least two connection elements on each side wall are identical, wherein an inner side of the housing is embodied such that the insulator component is positioned in a defined manner in the housing such that the switching element is assigned unambiguously to the on switching position and the off switching position. 
 
     
     
       2. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the two connection elements for connection to the adjacent program switches are embodied in a positively locking manner. 
     
     
       3. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements define a plug-in direction of the program switch into the printed circuit board, and the two connection elements for connection are free of undercuts in the plug-in direction. 
     
     
       4. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection elements of one of the side walls are embodied as projections and the connection elements of another one of the side walls are embodied as cutouts. 
     
     
       5. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner side of the housing has one of a chamfer, a groove and a projection and the insulator component has another one of the chamfer, the groove and the projection. 
     
     
       6. A modular program switch arrangement for mounting on a printed circuit board, the modular program switch arrangement comprising:
 at least two program switches, each of the at least two program switches comprising a housing, an insulator component with contact elements arranged thereon and a switching element movable between an on switching position and an off switching position and the switching element contacting the contact elements in the on switching position, wherein the housing has a first side wall and a second side wall and at least two connection elements are arranged on each side of the first side wall and the second side wall and spaced apart from each other, the at least two connection elements on each side wall being identical, wherein one of the at least two program switches is connected to an adjacent program switch by the connection elements, wherein an inner side of the housing is embodied such that the insulator component is positioned in a defined manner in the housing such that the switching element is assigned unambiguously to the on switching position and the off switching position. 
 
     
     
       7. The modular program switch arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein the positively locking connection is embodied as a dovetail connection, wherein the inner side of the housing has one of a chamfer and a groove and the insulator component has a projection, insulator component being positioned in the housing via the projection and one of the chamber and the groove. 
     
     
       8. A method for producing a modular program switch arrangement, the method comprising the following steps:
 providing at least two program switches, each of the at least two program switches comprising a housing, an insulator component with contact elements arranged thereon and a switching element movable between an on switching position and an off switching position and the switching element contacting the contact elements in the on switching position, wherein the housing has a first side wall and a second side wall and at least two connection elements are arranged on each side of the first side wall and the second side wall and spaced apart from each other, the at least two connection elements on each side wall being identical, wherein an inner side of the housing is embodied such that the insulator component is positioned in a defined manner in the housing such that the switching element is assigned unambiguously to the on switching position and the off switching position; 
 connecting the program switches to form a modular program switch arrangement by the connection elements. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein a further program switch is connected to the free connection elements of an outer program switch of the modular program switch arrangement, wherein the inner side of the housing has one of a chamfer and a groove and the insulator component has a projection, insulator component being positioned in the housing via the projection and one of the chamber and the groove. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is different from each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall, the housing having a third wall connecting the first side wall and the second side wall, the third wall comprising a third wall first surface and a third wall second surface located opposite the third wall first surface, at least the third wall first surface and the third wall second surface defining a slot, the switching element being arranged in the slot, the contact elements defining a plug-in direction of the program switch, the third wall first surface and the third wall second surface extending in a direction transverse to the plug-in direction. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is one of a slot and a projection, each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall being another one of the slot and the projection. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the contact elements define a plug-in direction of the program switch, the slot and the projection extending in a direction parallel to the plug-in direction. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is one of a slot and a projection, each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall being another one of the slot and the projection. 
     
     
       14. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is different from each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall. 
     
     
       15. The program switch according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is one of a slot and a projection, each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall being another one of the slot and the projection. 
     
     
       16. The program switch according to  claim 15 , wherein the contact elements define a plug-in direction of the program switch, the slot and the projection extending in a direction parallel to the plug-in direction. 
     
     
       17. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is one of a slot and a projection, each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall being another one of the slot and the projection. 
     
     
       18. The modular program switch arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is different from each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall. 
     
     
       19. The modular program switch arrangement according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the at least two connection elements on the first side wall is one of a slot and a projection, each of the at least two connection elements on the second side wall being another one of the slot and the projection. 
     
     
       20. The modular program switch arrangement according to  claim 19 , wherein the contact elements define a plug-in direction of the program switch, the slot and the projection extending in a direction parallel to the plug-in direction. 
     
     
       21. The program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the program switch is embodied as a one-pole module. 
     
     
       22. A program switch according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact elements define a plug-in direction of the program switch and the switching element is movable transversely to the plug-in direction between the on switching position and the off switching position.